Palestinians Condemn Israeli Settlement Plan

The Palestinians "strongly condemn" an Israeli decision to approve the construction of 1,600 new settler homes in east Jerusalem, a Palestinian official told Agence France Presse on Thursday.

Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat denounced the Israeli interior ministry's announcement Thursday that it had given final approval for the construction of 1,600 homes in the east Jerusalem neighborhood of Ramat Shlomo.

"We strongly condemn the new Israeli decision to build new settlement homes in east Jerusalem," Erakat said.

Israeli Interior Minister Eli Minister Eli Yishai is also expected to approve 2,700 additional settler homes in two east Jerusalem settlement neighborhoods soon, his spokesman Roei Lachmanovich told AFP.

"He has approved 1,600 homes in Ramat Shlomo and will approve 2,000 more in Givat Hamatos and 700 in Pisgat Zeev," Lachmanovich said, referring to two additional Jewish neighborhoods in east Jerusalem.

Erakat said the United States should respond to the planned construction by shifting its position on a Palestinian bid for United Nations membership.

He urged the United States and President Barack Obama "to reconsider their position rejecting the Palestinian move to go to the United Nations for recognition of a Palestinian state on the 1967 lines with east Jerusalem as its capital."

"We call on him to support this approach because it is the only way to preserve the two-state solution," he added.